Recipes Collection

I love bruschetta and youve seen my recipe before. Here is a perfect appetizer to throw together when you have unexpected company. Of course, this is only going to work if you keep your pantry well stocked. In the near future I will be posting about how I stock my pantry and all the items that I like to keep on hand. This time I happened to have a niece piece of fresh mozzarella in my fridge but in a pinch you can use any type of mozzarella. My mom likes to buy a lot of items in bulk so she buys a big bag of shredded mozarella in Costco and divides them into small bags and keeps them in her freezer. I buy mozzarella and other cheeses when they are on sale in the supermarket. If you have a block of Polly-o or Sorrento cheese thats fine, just slice it thin. If you have shredded mozzarella use enough to neatly cover the bread.

The next pantry item I used for this appetizer is a jar of roasted peppers. If you happen to have a few beautiful red bell peppers to roast I would definitely recommend that. If you would like to know how to do that, see my recipe here. However, were talking about simple today so I didnt do that this time. Drain peppers and slice them into strips and place them in a bowl. I like to dress or "fix" my peppers (as my mom would say) with cracked garlic, fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil and a little salt. If you have the time let the peppers marinate in that mixture for an hour or as long as you can. If you are kalamata olive obsessed like Steve and I are you can throw in some olives. I always have some in the fridge that I pick up at the olive bar at our local Stop and Shop. So slice those in half or smaller and add them to the bowl with the peppers.

Now youre ready to make the bruschetta. Slice the bread on an angle so you have a larger surface area than you would have if you just sliced it straight down. Besides, it looks prettier this way, dont you think? Drizzle with a little oil and toast under the broiler, flip them over and toast the other side. Be careful not too cook them too long, you want a crunch but you dont want to burn them or break your teeth on them. Next add whatever type of cheese you have, fresh sliced, block sliced or shredded. Put back under the broiler just long enough until cheese melts. Arrange on a plate and top with roasted peppers and olives. Thats it!

I know this isnt a structured recipe but when youre throwing something together in a pinch who has time to read a recipe, right? Hope this all made sense to you guys! If not, let me know and I will right up a "proper" recipe. :-)

 

I make roasted potatoes a lot.  Ive never really followed a recipe and so I have never thought to put it on the blog, but they are so delicious I thought you would enjoy them!  They are incredibly versatile - you can use russet or red potatoes (gold dont get quite as crispy) and whatever herbs and seasonings you have around.  We currently have a rosemary plant growing in our backyard, so I use that most often these days, but as you can see in the picture, you can add chives, oregano, parsley, whatever floats your boat.  As long as you have olive oil, garlic, and salt and pepper, theyll be delicious!


I feel like you get a lot more flavor with kosher salt or freshly ground sea salt (I buy mine in a grinder at Costco) than regular old table salt, so try to go with one of those if you can.

Roasted Potatoes

5-6 medium red or russet potatoes, medium diced
2-3 T. olive oil (enough to coat the potatoes well)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. fresh rosemary, minced (or other herbs), plus more for garnish
1 tsp. salt*, or to taste
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Place diced potatoes on a large baking sheet and sprinkle olive oil, garlic, herbs, and salt and pepper over the potatoes.   Toss well to coat evenly, adding additional salt and pepper if needed.

Roast potatoes for 20 minutes and then remove from the oven and toss with a spatula.  Continue roasting an additional 15-20 minutes until browned and crispy on the edges and done in the middle.  Season with additional salt and pepper, if needed.  Garnish with additional fresh herbs.

A quick and easy method in which to prepare a very tasty and rewarding shrimp dish...

Servings: (4)
Prep: 10 mins. |
Roast: 6 mins.

Posted: by Sandra 

INGREDIENTS:

***Thousand Island Dip/Dressing (Yields 2-1/2 cups)
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup ketchup
¼ cup sweet pickle relish
2 teaspoons worchestershire sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons milk (add more or less, depending of your desired thickness)
1 boiled egg, finely chopped

***Roasting Shrimp
20 large raw shrimp/prawns, peeled (tails on)
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice

--Lemon wedges for serving

METHOD

To make the dip, whisk all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl until creamy. Place into refrigerator in an airtight covered glass container, until ready to serve, and for flavors to meld.

To roast the shrimp, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet lined with foil and sprayed with oil, and set aside.

Place prepared fresh shrimp in a medium-sized bowl and sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste. Pour olive oil and lemon juice over the shrimp, and toss to coat. Place onto prepared baking sheet, and roast in oven for 5 to 6 minutes, just until the shrimp are opaque and have a slight curl; turning halfway through cooking - do not overcook. Cool shrimp and serve with a side of homemade thousand island dip and lemon wedges ~ Enjoy!